Oct 5, 2011
Is Your Virtual Receptionist Based in America? And Does it Matter?
Did you read about Sen. Claire McCaskill? She’s drafting legislation that would require call center agents working beyond U.S. borders to reveal exactly where they are located.
“I don’t know about you, but I have called for help sometimes and I can’t get them to tell me where they are, (in cases) when I’ve been frustrated because there’s been a language barrier,” said McCaskill during a news conference on the floor of the call center at Missouri Book Services in Columbia. “I think (the legislation) gives a boost to American-centered call centers because I think most Americans would prefer to use a call center that’s located here in the United States.
McCaskill told her listeners that the number of call centers in Missouri has declined from 13,000 in 2007 to 9,000 today. She points to call center outsourcing to foreign countries as the culprit. Opus Virtual Offices is making a pledge to its customers: all virtual office services are based in the U.S.
“The receptionist service Opus provides to answer clients’ business calls has always been staffed from within the United States. Americans need the jobs and I also know it can be frustrating to get on the phone with an overseas representative if there’s a language barrier,” says Opus Virtual Offices’ CEO Yori Galel. “And with this bill in the news I want to confirm our commitment to exclusive American staffing.”
As Opus defines it, a virtual office includes a corporate mailing address with local phone and fax numbers available in many cities nationwide and technology that converts faxes and voicemail to e-mail. And an earmark of Opus virtual offices is live receptionists answering calls during business hours. As Galel sees it, this is where trained U.S. based, English as a first language, staffing shines.
Does it matter where your virtual receptionist is based? It may very well, to many customers. It can be difficult to understand thick accents, and often times call centers with overseas personnel don’t seem to understand the callers, either. It can be a recipe for disaster for a small business looking to boost revenue with a more efficient call answering service.
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- Total Attorneys Offers Specialized Virtual Receptionist Service